Jerry and Tyra Robinson serve their five children dinner on a typical weeknight. Because of the family’s increase in size, the Robinsons are in the process of moving to a larger home. The Robinsons spend about $1,000 on food a month to support their growing family.

Pictured from left, Jaivon Hill, 4, Lyrica Robinson, 5, Andrew Hill, 3, Harmony Robinson, 2, and Nadia Hill, 2, await their chance to feed farm animals at Fountain Farm, a rescue farm for abused and neglected animals. Because most foster children only stay in a home for a limited time, the quick bonding would only make it harder if the foster children were to leave. “I kept telling my oldest little girl they would be going back to a home, and she would say ‘but mom you’re their mom and dad’s their dad and I’m their sister,’” Tyra Robinson remembered.

Jaivon peeks into a tunnel on Hope Community Church’s playground as Lyrica crawls through. Since the three foster children entered the Robinson home they fit into the family. “As soon as those three walked in the door they said ‘Hi mom, hi dad’ and they went off to play with Lyrica and Harmony,” Tyra Robinson said.

Lyrica Robinson, 5, searches the shoe section at Wal-Mart for a pair of rain boots in her princess leotard during a family outing. The five Robinson children commonly play dress up, wearing different costumes of their choices throughout the day.

Tyra and Jerry Robinson gather their children after church on Sunday. Coming from broken homes, Tyra and Jerry understand the importance of a stable two parent environment. “I grew up in a single parent home and so did my husband, we decided a long time ago, before we had our girls that we were going to adopt or foster one day and give someone the love we never had coming from a single parent home, as opposed to a two parent home,” Tyra Robinson said.

Tyra Robinson interprets sign language during a typical Sunday service at Hope Community Church at the border of Anderson and Franklin Counties. Robinson is a professional evangelist and sign language interpreter, managing an international business Sign Art. Tyra often travels throughout different states to sign for different churches and events, but has worked at Hope Community Church for the past 11 years.

At the end of a long day of taking care of her children, Tyra sits down to take a rest, something that doesn’t happen often throughout the day. “When you become a foster parent you forfeit your time to take care of these children,” she said.

Jerry Robinson helps Jaivon try on rain boots before going to a farm. Buying each child the things they need could be a financial strain but the Robinsons attribute savvy spending and making things last as ways to make it easier.

For nearly a year now the Robinsons have been raising three foster children along with their own two biological daughters.

Jaivon, 4, Andrew, 3, and Nadia, 2, came to the Robinson home for lack of anyone else that would care for all three siblings.

When the children were abandoned in Kentucky, NECCO foster care social workers searched for a home and finally called the Robinsons to take them.

“My husband and I believe in helping or community and sharing hope with others so we decided to take the trio on,” Tyra Robinson said, “before these kids came to us they did not have hope or a future, but I can honestly say today that God is using us in their lives, they have a hope and they have a future.”

The Robinsons have had foster children before but never three at once along with their two young daughters, Lyrica, 5 and Harmony, 2.

Coming from broken single parent homes, both Tyra and Jerry wanted to foster or adopt before even having children of their own in order to provide a child with something they never had growing up — a good home.